Tenerife Completes Island-Wide Rollout of Home Palliative Care Programme Across All Health Districts

TENERIFE – The Canary Islands Ministry of Health has officially completed the rollout of its home palliative care programme across Tenerife, following the incorporation of the final health districts in the metropolitan area. The service now offers 100% coverage across the entire island.

Since its initial launch in October 2024 in Santiago del Teide and Guía de Isora, nearly 500 patients facing advanced illnesses have received specialized medical and nursing support within the comfort and privacy of their own homes.

Specialist Team of 17 Healthcare Professionals

Managed by Tenerife's Primary Healthcare Management department, the home care unit is staffed by a dedicated team of eight doctors, eight nurses, and one social worker . Patients and their families also have access to a dedicated telephone helpline to address queries regarding symptoms, treatments, or sudden clinical changes.

While currently focused on oncology patients, the team works in close coordination with local health centres, out-of-hospital emergency units, and specialized hospital palliative care departments at the Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria and Hospital Universitario de Canarias (HUC).

Dignified Home Care and Future Expansion Plans

A key goal of the programme is enabling patients to stay in familiar surroundings whenever clinically possible, preventing unnecessary hospital admissions while providing effective pain management and continuous family support.

Following the full coverage milestone in Tenerife, health authorities intend to expand the home care framework to include non-oncology patients suffering from advanced chronic conditions who require specialist palliative attention.

The strengthening of public healthcare infrastructure contributes to overall quality of life across the island, enhancing the appeal for long-term residents and visitors staying in holiday apartments in los cristianos and other southern resort towns.